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In Memory

In memory of our friend and colleague Amy Branch

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Female fans normally know more facts about what’s going on than men do anyway. I’d say they’re a more intelligent fan on top of that. They normally know more about what we’ve done than we know about what we’ve done. --- Tony Stewart

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There are female fans who take apart engines and will take you apart if you have a problem with that; who are drawn to the danger and mystery of the sport; who watch races on TV to witness pure passion and unscripted emotion; who love the camaraderie of these family-friendly festivals; who feel the nervous anxiety of the lip-biting wives atop the pit boxes. --- Andrew Giangola “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday”

NEW YORK (April 1, 2010) – Showtime Networks Inc. announced a deal with Darlington Raceway to be named the official title sponsor of the Southern 500, becoming one of the only television networks ever to title sponsor a NASCAR event.

The newly branded SHOWTIME Southern 500® is one of the most exciting and anticipated races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

The title sponsorship builds on the premium television network’s recent entry into NASCAR. In February, SHOWTIME premiered Inside NASCAR, premium television’s first weekly highlights and analysis show dedicated to auto racing. The network committed 38, one-hour episodes of Inside NASCAR on SHOWTIME (weekly premiere on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT) featuring exclusive narrated highlights and in-depth analysis of every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this season.

“The NASCAR fan is a deeply loyal and passionate one,” said Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of SHOWTIME Sports. “With the launch of the Inside NASCAR series, we were looking to connect with the fans in a meaningful and emotional way, and to affirm our commitment to the NASCAR family. Sponsoring a race at an historic track like Darlington Raceway, one that has hosted all the legends in the sport, was the perfect fit.”

“We are very excited to partner with a company as well known as Showtime,” said Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning. “The timing of this announcement could not be better with the recent launch of their new program Inside NASCAR. From the start, Showtime recognized the value in the Darlington Raceway brand and the significant role the track has played in the history of NASCAR, which we believe makes Darlington the perfect partnership for Showtime.”

As part of the title sponsorship, Showtime has activated a range of marketing and promotional initiatives including a robust presence on the grounds at Darlington Raceway for the Mother’s Day weekend event and the launch of the SHOWTIME Southern 500 Experience Sweepstakes.

The sweepstakes Grand Prize (http://sports.sho.com/500sweeps to enter) is a VIP trip for two to the SHOWTIME Southern 500 with round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations, VIP access at Darlington Raceway, two Hot Passes, an opportunity to meet and greet the Inside NASCAR talent and access to the SHOWTIME infield suite.

The Grand Prize winner will also be part of the SHOWTIME Southern 500 Gatorade Victory Lane celebration and will be presented with a replica of the coveted SHOWTIME Southern 500 Trophy.
The SHOWTIME Southern 500 Experience sweepstakes launched on Tuesday, March 30, and has an entry deadline of April 23. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on the April 28 edition of Inside NASCAR.

You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.

Don’t miss any of the paint-scraping action at Darlington Raceway in 2010. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series will visit the track on Mother’s Day Weekend, May 7-8, for the SHOWTIME Southern 500® and Darlington 200. The Camping World Truck Series will make its return to Darlington Raceway for first time since 2004 on Aug. 14 for the Too Tough to Tame 200.